FLampard admits that Chelsea have scored too many goals through unforced individual errors this season and after three losses against Manchester United they no longer need to be told that Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team is approaching the FA Cup semifinal of the Sunday full of confidence.
“We know we will play a very good team in great shape,” said the Chelsea coach. “His three forwards are very powerful and behind them Bruno Fernandes has given United a huge boost since joining in January. The way they play United has the individual quality to beat almost anyone, so we have to be at our best and make sure we stay focused. “
Chelsea has been working hard in training to try and make sure they don’t give away low-cost goals at Wembley. Defensive lapses have been a feature of his season, whether it’s being caught too often by quick counterattacks or making mistakes at crucial moments in big games. “That has cost us a few points this season,” said Lampard. “Very often we have been playing well, feeling in control of a game, when a mistake at a crucial moment has led us to accept. That is a pattern that has been too regular this season, and we are working on how to cut it. ”
To some extent, the FA Cup is a subplot of the actual competition between Chelsea and United, the battle for a result in the top four to secure a place in the Champions League for next season. Chelsea is third, with United fifth, although there is a point between them and Chelsea must play against Liverpool and Wolves in their last two league games. United have a home game at West Ham before the last day’s matchup in Leicester.
United has been on an unbeaten streak of eight games since the restart, although Lampard does not feel that interrupting that sequence would necessarily affect his league form. “This is a semi cup between two great teams, I don’t think it has much to do with anything else,” he said. “The last two games will come pretty quickly next week. I don’t see any of us giving up on our league ambitions through what happens at Wembley. “
N’Golo Kanté did not recover in time to play on Sunday, so Lampard has at least one decision to make. Like Solskjær, he has been praised for giving youngsters their chance this season and has several options at his disposal. Tradition says that, or at least Sir Alex Ferguson always used to say, that experience is vital in the subsequent rounds of the playoffs, but Lampard says that it will go with what he sees on training ground. “I tend not to consider age too much and I think the experience can sometimes be overrated,” he said.
“You need character and personality, but that doesn’t mean you always have to turn to your older players. Young players can also have those qualities, it’s just a matter of striking the right balance. ”
